2025 Poetry Contest for teens and adults

LCPL Poetry Contest for teens and adults

It's time to rhyme and shine

Enter your poem into LCPL's annual poetry contest for a chance to win a cash prize!

The contest is open to teens and adults in Loudoun County and the nearby regions listed in the FAQ below. Submissions will be accepted Tuesday, April 1 through Sunday, May 18.

Categories

  • Spoken word
  • Free verse
  • Poems that rhyme

Awards Ceremony

Mark your calendar for our awards ceremony Thursday, June 12, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Sterling Library.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Please follow all directions carefully. Questions can be emailed to: contest@library.loudoun.gov.

Guidelines

Submissions are accepted online Tuesday, April 1, through Sunday, May 18.

Poems must be the original, unpublished work of the author and must be in English.

Only one poem per poet may be submitted.

The use of any artificial intelligence (AI) tools, software or applications to create, enhance or modify submissions is strictly prohibited.

Accepted Forms

Spoken Word

  • Your work may feature rhythmic flow, vivid imagery, wordplay, gestures, lyrical elements and repetition.
  • Sounds, instruments or background music may be used.

Free Verse

  • Submit a poem that follows the natural rhythm of speech and does not rhyme or have a regular meter.

Poems that Rhyme

  • Submit a poem that follows a pattern of sound repetitions.

Formatting

Please format your document accordingly:

  • Spacing: Double
  • Margins: 1-inch
  • Font: Arial, 12 point
  • Max length: 500 words or 5 minutes
  • File type: PDF (recommended) or Microsoft Word-readable document

Document name:

Your category (TEEN or ADULT) followed by the poem category and title.

  • Example: TEEN FREE VERSE The End of the Road.doc
  • DO NOT include your name in the file name.

Spoken Word entries:

  • Record your performance as a video.
  • State the title of your poem before you begin.
  • Upload your entry as an unlisted YouTube video, then include the link in your submission form.

Enter the Contest

Click here to submit your work online.

Participants in this program grant LCPL the right to publish their names and any portion of their submitted work in print and electronic publications in connection to the LCPL Poetry Contest.

Please note that entries not in compliance with the above will be disqualified.

Judging and Awards

Judging

Teen and adult participants will be judged as separate categories.

Teen Services librarians will read middle and high school submissions, and will select the winner and runner-up in each category.

Adult Services librarians will read the adult entries, and will select the winner and runner-up in each category.

Cash Prizes

Cash prizes for first place ($100) and runner-up ($50) will be awarded to the teen and adult winners in each of the three categories. Winners will be notified via email or phone by Wednesday, June 5.

Award Ceremony

An awards ceremony to honor the participants and winners will be held Thursday, June 12, at 6:30 p.m. at Sterling Library. Guest speaker Holly Karapetkova, Poet Laureate Emerita of Arlington, will present. A link to watch online will also be available.

Winning entries will be published on this contest webpage Friday, June 13. If winners are unable to attend the ceremony in person, their prizes will be mailed to them.

2024 WINNERS

Free Verse

Winner: Laura Gentry, Dancer’s Song
Runner-up: Susanne Whitehouse, Melt
Honorable Mention: Shruthika Sundar, OCD
Honorable Mention: Paige Kisner, Artist, Not Art
Honorable Mention: Heather Sullivan, A Child’s Song

Lyric Poems

Winner: Charles Notley, This Old House
Runner-up: Renee Kenny, Beach Scene
Honorable Mention: Heather Ward, Epic Loudoun County
Honorable Mention: Ming Autumns, An Ode to Music
Honorable Mention: Carol McKinney, Love Song

Poems that Rhyme

Winner: Conrad Geller, Hurdy-Gurdy
Runner-up: Cara Eisenberg, One Small Thing
Honorable Mention: Martin Bromser-Kloeden, The Commuter’s Rap
Honorable Mention: Erin-Amanda Schulz, Entreaty
Honorable Mention: Sarah Sheikhnureldin, Cacophony of the City

Spoken Word

Winner: Bakhtawar Chaudhary, The Blind Eye

Download the 2024 Rhyme On anthology

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What should I write about? Is there a theme?

We don't have a theme! This is your chance to get creative.

Do I have to be a Loudoun County resident or LCPL cardholder to participate?

You do not need to be an LCPL cardholder to enter. This contest is open to residents of Loudoun County and our neighboring regions:

  • District of Columbia
  • Virginia: Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Prince William, Clarke and Frederick counties, and the cities of Falls Church, Alexandria and Winchester
  • West Virginia: Jefferson County
  • Maryland: Montgomery, Washington, Prince George's, Frederick and Charles counties

Can I submit work that has been previously published?

No, your work must be previously unpublished and not scheduled for publication anywhere before June 14, 2025. This is due to copyright restrictions.

Why do you have a limit of 500 words?

We receive a lot of submissions and we want to make sure everyone gets a fair chance. We don't want external factors such as font size to influence our judgment. We also want to make sure there is enough time for us to read all submissions.

Can I submit a poem with multiple authors?

Yes, you may co-author your poem as long as all authors qualify to enter the competition. Include a final page with each individual author's information. If a story with multiple authors wins, prize money will be split evenly among the authors.